The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-12-29
THE P0PES ANNIVERSARY
A LETTER FROM THE CATHOLIC
HIERARCHY OF AMERICA.

His Holiness, Pope Leo XIII, OOnEratu-
lated Upon the Attainment OF the Fiji
tisth Anniversary Of His Ordination to
the Prissthood-Ths TranSlatien.
LONDON, Dec 26.-1hs following is a
literal translation from the Latin Of the
letter from the Catholic hierarchy Of Amer
lea to Pope Leo, congratulating him upon
the attainment Of the flftisth anniversary OF
his ordination to the priesthood The letter
was deliversi to his holiness to-day:
"MosT Holy FATHER-As the devotion
Of Christian people, the dignity of your
see, and the Importance of the deeds done
by you certainly demand, the whole world
now congratulates you on the hftleth joyful
and glorious anniversary of that day
whereof you received ths Christian priest
hood.
"Just half century has elapsed since
you dedicated yourself wholly to God, and
solsmnly pledged yourself to serve in per-
forming the sacred rights OF His temple
and in furthering divine worship Nor
have you ever been found wanting in the
fulfillment OF your duty or your promises.
All are aware that scarcely were you ad-
AA"sOA w pho NACo VI buo AlUdE WnDu
you became model for your fellow oitioens
In every virtue Then, whom you were hon
ored with the bishops miter, nothing was
nearer your hearts than the upholding and
extending OF the honor and authority of
God and the holy church by upright laws
and regulations.
'But when the providont mind Of your
predecessor appointed you to aid in carry
ing on the public business OF the church, ii
Oan scarcely be told with what prudence,
what wisdom and what happy success you
acquitted yourself Of your charge. And
when at length you were elevated to that
exalted position to which your virture, your
divinity confessed genius, and the other en-.
dowments Of your mind, have hidden you,
you assuredly proved not only that the
Cardinals who elected you, but that God
himself, in his mercy, looked to the good of
the church in these evil days. For, mindful
Of what has been done by your prsdecss-
sors, and walking in the footsteps of those
who, under the same name which you bear,
have with so great honor occupied the chair
of st. Peter, you have left nothing unat-
tempted to bring back to the path way of
rectltude both those Of your own flock and
those without the fold who have strayed
from Christian truth
Often indeed have you recalled to their
minds and held strongly before them in sol
smn terms the eternal law of God, with
out the support of which neither the family
nor human society, nor even civil govern
ment itself, can subSist, which law, though
1t Is clearer than sunlight, since it was re-
vealed by God, and by the aid of reason it
Is made more manifest and better estab-
hshed, philosophers, wrongly 80 called, have
now for three centuries striver to remove
from their own minds and frora the minds
OF all nations. This they do with such in
Hstence that there are soma even among
Catholics who seem to be entrapped by the
fnllaoies, and to be hurried headlong to ruin
by the onset of this growing error
Deeply in truth we're we rejoiced Most
Holy Father when lately with such wisdom
and success you asserted the heaven born
majesty OF your sea by reoonciling dis
pordant rulers and peoples Of Europe It
Teemed to US that those happy times had
almost returned in which the Roman pontiff
was looked upon as the father of all princes
and Of ell nations who glory in the Christian
name. In carrying through these transac-
lions such prudence was manifested by you,
such benignity, such sincere love of peace
and concord, that far distant posterity will
wonder how, out of powerful enemies, you
made friends aud almost sons.
M But when we remember the many bene-
its with which you have enri ched the
American church, we are moved to render
you thanks with our whole soul and would
bhat we were able to do so The one thing
granted US to perform that we do, and to.
day most willingly we join with our breth-
rem spread throughout the entire world, and
on this anniversary of your elevation to the
priesthood we offer you our most heartfelt
congratulations. We beg for you from AL
nightly God all happiness and prosperity,
and especially that ms may preserve you as
long as possible for the good OF the Christian
commonwealth
'Prostrate at the feet of your holiness we
earnestly beseech ths Apostolic bensdic-
tOur
The letter is signed by Cardinal Gibbons,
all archbishops and all tue bishops in the